


A tough day's end

by Nea



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: Babies, M/M, Self-Indulgent, Spoilers, moustead - Freeform, ridiculous fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:55:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23510443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nea/pseuds/Nea
Summary: The victim is a baby, found outside in a fucking duffle-bag. (Spoiler/Reminder: the baby is okay)
Relationships: Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz/Jay Halstead
Comments: 7
Kudos: 86





	A tough day's end

**Author's Note:**

> **Author's note:** Gratitude to _firstlovelatespring_ for betaing.  
>  **Author's note 2:** Slash, established relationship, self-indulgent fluff  
>  **Warnings:** Spoiler for episode 320, endangerment of a baby mentioned  
>  **Disclaimer:** The show belongs to Dick Wolf and Co. The guys belong to each other.

Jay can see that Mouse is close to tears when he hears the victim is a baby, found outside in a fucking duffle-bag.

Every member of the unit is shaken by that, but Police Academy told them how to handle such situations: put your professional face on, push the emotions aside and focus on the job. You can break down off-duty.

Though Jay and Mouse got pretty much the same talk at the Rangers, PTSD doesn't follow those rules and makes you more vulnerable.

Jay's standing next to Mouse, writing all the facts they know so far on the white board and you can only see his hand shaking if you look very closely.

Mouse also can't look away from the baby girl's picture, pinned next to Jay's writing until Voight tells him to take it down.

Later, Jay finds Mouse in their tiny office kitchen, where Mouse stirs his tea longer than necessary, staring into the mug without paying attention.

"Hey." Jay leans against the counter next to Mouse, who just nods at him, biting his lip, and when he lets go of the spoon, Jay pulls him into a hug. It's hard not to run his fingers through Mouse's hair soothingly or not kiss the top of his head. "The baby is alive," he tells Mouse quietly and can instantly feel him relax in his arms.

"Really?" Mouse's eyes brighten up, when he moves a little to look at Jay. "That's amazing!"

After work they go to the hospital and see how the baby’s doing. There’s still too many tubes and other medical stuff attached to her, but Doctor Manning confirms again that the little girl will recover. 

Mouse lets out a shaky breath of relief and Jay leans into him for a moment, just glad about the good news. Usually, when you find a baby out there left in the cold, abandoned, it ends differently.

"You know what?" Doctor Manning muses for a moment. "We’re about to start a brand-new project in the neonatology unit and it’s probably the best way to end your day." she smiles. "Follow me."

The doctor stops before they round the corner.

"Some of them have no parents or the parents can’t stay with them all day or visit them daily, for different reasons. But babies need to be held. They need positive touches. It’s good for their development, for their hearts, their skin, their brains. It helps them to form trust and confidence", Natalie Manning explains. "We’re looking for volunteers, but the recruitment process will be long, so, would you two like to be first?"

"You want us to hold babies?" Mouse asks, and the mixture of skepticism and fear in his question makes her laugh.

"You’re trustworthy and you look like you’d need it, so yes." She grins and enters the nursery with rows of baby beds and a few comfortable chairs. They follow her again, careful to barely make a sound.

Just being in the presence of dozens of sleeping babies and hearing their soft breaths makes them feel peaceful, somehow.

Mouse and Jay shrug off their jackets and Natalie motions for them to take their button-downs off, too, so the babies wont get hurt by the buttons.

Meanwhile the doctor stops at one of the tiny beds and cautiously picks up the baby.

"Hey sweetie, here we go." She slowly turns around. "Meet Mouse."

Mouse’s eyes go wide at that, but he has no time to change his mind, because she puts the baby in his arms, and he holds his breath for a moment. The baby is tiny, warm and awake, looking at him with big blue eyes.

"Hey, you," Mouse whispers, a little shakily again. "Why aren’t you asleep, young lady?" He adjusts the soft pink hat on the baby’s head.

"He’s a natural," Natalie says quietly, as she turns to Jay, who watches Mouse and the baby in awe.

"This one’s for you." For a second Jay thinks she’s talking about Mouse, but then she puts a baby with a soft green hat into Jay’s arms. It’s sound asleep and doesn’t even stir at the change.

Holding a baby is the scariest thing he’s done in a while, yet it’s also comforting, once the fear of dropping or accidentally hurting it wears off.

"I think the project will be a great success," Natalie whispers, watching the guys sit down, totally focused on the babies in their arms. "I have to go now, but one of the nurses will check on you in a few." she adds and gets soft sounds of assent as an answer.

After the doctor leaves, Jay dares to glance at Mouse for a second. The little girl in Mouse’s arm has fallen asleep, so Mouse looks at Jay, too.

"Best ending of this day." Mouse mouthes.

Jay nods and mouthes back "Definitely."


End file.
